Rotary-feed centrifugal pump



Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,547

J. OF. CLARK ROTARY FEED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed Jan. 5, 1925 Patented Nov. 30, 192.6.

UNITED STATES y 1,608,547 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OFALLON CLARK, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MANGANESE STEEL COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

appucation med Januari 5, 1925. serial No. 54s.

This invention relates to centrifugal pumps of the type in which an impeller, rotating about an axis within a shell, receives a column of fluid in the direction of its axis and diverts the same by centrifugal force in directions radial thereto and particularly pumps of this general class in which, for the sake of efficiency, the rotating member and corresponding Walls of its shell are defined by substantially parallel planes perpendicular to its axis of rotation, and receive the fluid through a stationar barrel that terminates at or WithinV one o the said planes, thereb leaving the rotating member with impel ingr channels that are relatively long in the radial direction. other solid matter, which 'frequently is borne in with the column of fluid, Works serious injury to those parts of the mechanism'whichare immediately concerned with diverting the material from its axial to its radial course, owingto .the momentum of the solid matter in one direction or its inertia that opposes setting up motion in the l other direction; this condition being particularly aggravated by ,the relatively abrupt change of direction incident to delivery of the fluid within the plane of the rotor and near its center, or at the inner enls of the relatively long impelling channe s.

Now, the object of the present invention is to reduce, in a substantial and beneficial degree, the forces which work the injury referred to; and the invention proceeds -upon the principle of settin up a rotary or vortical motion in the co umn of fluid and any solid matter contained therein, during the feeding of the column through a stat1onary suction intake of the pump, for instance, by developing rifling within a suitable portion of the feed channel, or constructing the same with spirally arranged lands or ribs and causing the material to reach the center of the impeller at a oint radially Within its peripheral points o discharge with an inherent centrifugalforce, already present in the fluid, that initiates the radial movement immediately the material escapes from the confining wall of the intake, so that impingement of the solid matter against the surfaces of the impeller will be/at relatively ineffective angles and largely reduced in force. In the preferred In pumps of this type, gravel and embodiment of the invention, the suction intake increases in diameter toward the impeller, and may even be flared in a constantly increasing ratio, but within a low angle of flaring in order not to detract too G0 much from the radial dimension of the impelling channel; and the vanes which de velop the rifling within the intake, are of sp1ral form, increasing in both depth and pitch as they proceed inward, so as to progressively build up the speed of rotation of the fluid column.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, several embodiments thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an axial section of a pump in which one form of the present invention is embodied.

Figure 2 is a similar View of the suction 5 side Wall of the pump,'with a modified construction of intake.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, showing a similar design of intake developed in part by-a protecting liner; and

Figure 4 shows an inside elevational View of the intake opening of Figures 2 and 3.

1 represents the shell of a pump, 2 the suc tion side Wall, and 3 the back Wall. The impeller 4, rotatably mounted within the shell 1 through means of the shaft 5, is defined by substantially transverse planes so that its ilnpelling passages are relatively long in the radial direction. The Suctionside Wall 2 is constructed with a deep flange or barrel 6 through which is formed the suction intake 7 that delivers a column of fluid to the impeller in the direction of the axis of thc shaft 5, near the center of the impeller and radially Within the periphery at which the impeller discharges.` In order to reduce the violence of impact of solid matter entering with the column of fluid, as it reaches the inner wall of thev im el'ler or is picked up by the radial vyvalls tlliereof, the intake 7 is lo designed with lands or ribs 8, 9, 10, and 1l that develop rifling within the feed chan` nel capable of set-ting up a rotary or vortical motion in the column of fluid passing therethrough; these lands or ribs being of m5 such height and pitch as Will insure' the desired effect and preferably increasing in both height and pitch inwardly. The landsl preferably extend, not only through thev suction opening provided by the barrel 6 of l" the suction side plate, but into the tubular extension or feed pipe 12 aswell, the lands tapering and preferably increasing in pitch progressively through both the feed pipe and the barrel. Preferably also the lands Will not be formed directly upon the barrel 6 of the' tubular extension 12, but upon liners 6a and 12a adapted to said members, so that it Will be practicable and convenient to replace the rifling within :these members Whenever it Wears down to proportions tha` Would render it inefficient.' The liner 6 preferably terminates in a plane 6L" Within the impeller 4, so as to protect that Wall of the latter which is presented toward the suction side; and said liner may also be designed with an integral Wear plate 6b thai: ovelillies the inner surface of the suction side Wa 2.'

As suggested lin Figure 2, the suction side wall 2a may be adapted for convenient replacement in the pump when Worn, and have its suction intake 7a with rifling lands 8a, 9, 10a and 11a formed integrally with it. and said suction intake may, as shown, be of a form in which the flare or increase in diameter inward toward the impeller is at a constantly increasing ratio so that by the time `the material is released to the impeller, it Will have assumed, under centrifugal force, a direction approaching still nearer the radial direction of movement induced by the impeller.

As shown in Figure 3, the suction side wall may take the form 2l', with the suction intake 7a formed in part integral therewith and in part of a liner 13 and with ribs 8b, 9", 10b and 11b continuing from the one part t the other; and the liner 13 will have a flange 13a entering a recess of the side plate 2, a Wearing face 13b overlying the mner face of the side wall 2b, and a lip 13 which constitutes a protection for the outer Wall of the impeller, in that it receives the im- 4pingement of the, incoming material until l V the latter is free to enter the impeller.

While l have shown and described riding" llands as the means for setting up rotary motion of the column of fluid and its contained solid matter, delivered axially to a rotary pump, it is tobe understood that the scope of the invention will alsoinclude any other suitable means for setting up such a rotary motion and developing a centrifugal force in the material by the time it reaches the impeller.

I claim: l A.

1. A centrifugal pump, comprising a shell, an impeller rotating within the shell, said impeller and corresponding walls of the shell being defined by planes substantially transverse to the axis of rotation, and

a stationary feed barrel delivering axially "to the impeller, near its center, and at a point located radially inward from the discharging periphery of the impeller; said feed barrel being constructed with spiral lands developing a vortical motion in the fluid Within the stationary barrel before the "said impeller and corresponding walls of the shel being defined by planes substantially transverse to the axis of rotation, and a stationary feed barrel delivering axially to the impeller, near its center, and at a point located radially inward from the discharging periphery of the impeller; said feed barrel being constructed with spiral llands developing a vertical motion in the fluid Within the stationary barrel before the fluid reaches the impeller; said feed barrel enlarging in diameter toward the impeller but at a relatively low ang'e of flaring, thereby releasing the fluid with latent centrifugal force to a relatively long radial ac tion of the impeller.

3. A centrifugal pump, comprising a shell, an impeller rotating Within the shell, said impeller and `corresponding Walls of the shell being defined by planes substantially transverse to the axis of rotation, and a stationary feed barrel delivering axially to the impeller, near its center, and at a point located radially inward from the discharging periphery of the impeller; said feed barrel beingV constructed with spiral lands developing a vortical motion in the fluid Within the stationary barrel before the fluid reaches the impeller; the feed barrel increasing in diameter toward' the -impeller at a relatively low angle of flaring, and the depth of the lands increasing toward the impeller.

4. ln a centrifugal pump, a suction intake constructedwith deflecting lands that induce rotation in the column of fluid entering the pump; said suction intake increasing in diameter and said lands increasing in depth toward the impeller.

5. In a centrifugal pump, a rotary impeller having radially extending impelling channels and defined by substantially parallel Walls transverse to the axis of rotation, a shell having suction and back walls conforming substantially to the said planes of the impeller, and a feed barrel delivering to the impeller near its center and at a point located radially inward from the discharga shell having suction and back wallsconforming substantially to the said planes of the impeller, and a feed barrel delivering to the impeller near its center radially inward from the discharging periphery of the inipeller; said feed barrel being stationary and having-its inner wall constructed with spiral lands to induce vertical action in the fluid delivered by it; and the said wall of the feed barrel being integral with the suction Wall of the shell and continuing substantially axially to a point Within the radial plane of the channels of the impeller.

7. In a. centrifugal pump, a shell having a peripheral discharge port and a suction wall in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pump and con* structed with an axial intake terminating' at a point radially inward from the discharge port, an impeller rotatably mounted in said shell, having a Wall conforming to said suction Wall and open 'at its center to receive fluid from said axial intake, and a feed barrel substantially concentric With and extending in the direction of the axis of rotation of the pump, constructed With internal lands increasing in depth and pitch toward and terminating at theintake of' the shell.

8. In a centrifugal pump, a shell having a suction Wall in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the pump, a rotary vWith said feed impeller in said shell conforming substantially to said suction Wall, a stationary feed barrel delivering through said suction Wall near the center of the impeller and at a pointradially inward from the periphery of the impeller, and a feed pipe connected barrel; said feed pipe and feed barrel being constructed with integral lands, the lands of the barrel being arranged in continuation of those of the pipe.

9. In a centrifugal pump, a shell having a suction Wall in a plane substantially perpendiculai` to the axis of the pump, a rotary impeller in said shell conforming substantially to said suction Wall, a stationary feed barrel delivering through said suction Wall near the center of the impellcr and at a point radially inward from the periphery of the impeller, and a feed pipe connected with said feed barrel; said feed pipe and feed barrel being constructed with integral lands, the lands of the barrel being arranged in continuation of those of the pipe; the pipe being of substantially constant diameter, and the barrel increasing in diameter inward, and the lands increasing' in depth progressively through the pipe and the barrel.

Signed at Chicago Heights, Illinois, this 26th day of December, 1924. V

JOHN OFALLON CLARK.

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